It is not uncommon for public institutions — including Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College — to offer "dual credit" courses, meaning they count toward high school and college graduations.

The private Christian university based in Springfield introduced the option as part of an overarching effort to improve enrollment, affordability, access and student success.

Chris Belcher(Photo11: File photo)

Belcher said dual credit courses expose students to "the Evangel experience" while in high school, serve as a recruiting tool and provide a low-cost option to start working toward a college degree while in high school.

"We have great capacity," he said. "We are growing our online enrollment."

Enrollment is open to public and private high school students as well as teens who are taught at home.

Students in grades 11-12 can also enroll to obtain college credit, even if the course does not count toward a high school diploma. To be eligible to enroll, they must have a 3.0 GPA or higher.

"We are interested in connecting students with our faculty," he said.

Belcher said while a portion of dual credit students may seek a degree elsewhere, he hopes many will give Evangel a serious look.

"We understand there are students who will take the credits and go to another school and that is just fine," he said.

High school students who enroll pay a significantly lower price, just $65 per credit hour. OTC charges $35 a credit hour plus a $65 fee for online courses while Missouri State charges $70 a credit hour.

"It is competitive with anybody out there," he said. "It is a great opportunity for students, and we are really excited to finally be at a place where we can offer the access."

For comparison, the estimated annual cost for an undergraduate student at Evangel is $31,000 a year including tuition, fees and room and board. However, nearly all students qualify for scholarships or financial aid.

Belcher didn't have to look far to see the level of interest in dual credit options. He said his sons, a freshman at Evangel and a junior in high school, signed up for as many dual credit courses as possible.

"We also had a number of faculty coming and saying 'I've ran into this individual and they are interested in dual credit,'" he said.